Advertising delivery device

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an advertising delivery device which is adapted to be releasably adhered to a newspaper or other similarly distributed print medium. Advertising materials, which may or may not be personalized depending on the recipient, are inserted into the device, which is envelope-like. A pressure-sensitive adhesive, which is applied to at least part of the device, is used for attaching the device to the newspaper.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of direct marketing, andprovides an advertising device for placement on the exterior of anewspaper or newspaper section, a magazine, catalogue, or other similardistributed print medium for commercial purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that inserts in printed mediums may be used to conductdirect mail advertising campaigns, wherein promotional materials aredistributed to a large number of individuals and potential customers.Some of the drawbacks of this type of advertisement are that often thematerials will be lost in transit or discarded before being read.Moreover, such inserts are often big and cumbersome, expensive toproduce, and of a non-personal nature.

Canadian Patent Application No. 2,297,545 (now abandoned) discloses anadvertising device which attempts to overcome the above shortcomings.The disclosed advertising device is an envelope, with adhesive appliedto one side, that is filled with advertising materials and thenattached, via the adhesive, to a printed medium. When the printed mediumis distributed, the attached device and the advertising materialssecured within the device are distributed along with the printed medium.

Application No. 2,297,545 does not provide an advertising device thatcan be easily closed after the device has been attached to a printedmedium. After a device disclosed by Application No. 2,297,545 isadhesively attached to a printed medium by the adhesive on one side ofthe device, the device is fixedly flush with the printed medium. If anopen device were attached to a printed medium, it would be an awkwardtask to fold the envelope flap of the device over and to tuck the flapin between the device and the printed medium.

Nor does Application No. 2,297,545 provide an advertising device thatcan be attached to a printed medium without being sealed. If a disclosedadvertising device were not sealed prior to attachment to a printedmedium, the contents of the device would be in considerable danger ofsliding out of the device in the event the printed medium was inverted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide to a marketer at areasonable cost a product adaptable to a variety of print mediums whichwill not get lost or fly away.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle for thedelivery of advertising material which overcomes the shortcomingsdiscussed above, particularly the structural shortcomings of CanadianPatent Application No. 2,297,545.

In a broad aspect, then, the present invention relates to an advertisingdelivery device including at least one piece of advertising material,said device having a first layer; a second layer adjacent to andcontiguously connected to said first layer; an opening for insertingsaid advertising material; a flap positioned for closing said device,said flap comprising a first surface and a second surface; and a firstadhesive applied to at least part of said first surface of said flap ofsaid device, said first adhesive for adhesively affixing said device toa printed medium.

The application of a first adhesive to the flap of an advertisingdevice, as opposed to the side of the advertising device, allows thedevice to be easily closed either before or after being attached to aprinted medium. Also, a device with adhesive applied to the surface ofthe flap of the device does not need to be sealed prior to attachment toa printed medium because, after attachment, gravity will work to keepthe contents of the device within the device in the event the printedmedium is inverted.

In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided anadvertising delivery device including at least one advertising materialincluding a first layer; a second layer adjacent to and contiguouslyconnected to said first layer; an opening for inserting said advertisingmaterial; a flap positioned for closing said device, said flapcomprising a first surface and a second surface; and a first adhesiveapplied to at least part of the surface of said first layer of saiddevice and at least part of said first surface of said flap of saiddevice, said first adhesive for adhesively affixing said device to aprinted medium.

In yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided amethod of advertising utilizing a printed medium comprising the steps ofpreparing an advertising material and an envelope, inserting saidadvertising material into said envelope, and adhesively positioning saidenvelope onto said printed medium, whereby said advertising materialbeing inserted into said envelope is securely affixed to said printedmedium for distribution as a direct mail package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further understood from the followingdrawings that illustrate the present invention by way of example:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of an advertising delivery device according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially transparent rear view of the device of FIG. 1. Theflap of the device is closed and the front of the flap is showing.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a publication bearing the device of FIG.1 on its cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the device 10 of the present inventionis an envelope for delivering advertising material. The device 10 isprovided with a first layer 12 and a second layer 14 adjacent the firstlayer 12 and contiguously connected to first layer 12. An opening 16 isprovided between top portions of the first and second layers 12, 14.Opening 16 is provided for inserting advertising materials to bedistributed between the first and second layers 12, 14. Opening 16 issealable by a flap 20 extending from either the first layer 12 or secondlayer 14. In the embodiment of the device 10 shown in FIG. 1, flap 20extends from the second layer 14. Flap 20 may have an envelope adhesive22 applied to at least part of the rear or inner surface of the flap.Envelope adhesive 22 may be the type of adhesive commonly used to sealenvelopes. Flap 20 has an adhesive 13 for the attachment to a printedmedium applied to at least part of the front or outer surface of theflap. The adhesive 13 is preferably some type of pressure-sensitiverepositionable glue. In another embodiment of the device (not shown),the adhesive for attachment to a printed medium is applied to at leastpart of the surface of the first layer 12 of the device and is appliedto at least part of the front or outer surface of flap 20. Adhesive 13is preferably applied to flap 20 in an inline process. A peelablerelease layer 24, at least large enough to cover adhesive 13, may beplaced on and adhesively attached to adhesive 13.

Advertising materials may be inserted into device 10 before or afterdevice 10 is adhesively attached to printed medium N (shown in FIG. 3).After advertising materials have been inserted into the device 10, theflap 20 is folded over opening 16 until flap 20 is flush with firstlayer 12. If flap 20 has envelope adhesive 22 applied to at least partof the rear surface of the flap, envelope adhesive 22 adhesivelyattaches flap 20 to first layer 12. The advertising material iseffectively sandwiched between the first layer 12 and second layer 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, the device 10 is positioned and adhesively attachedto printed medium N, for instance, for distribution to potentialcustomers of the product being advertised. If device 10 has a peelablerelease layer 24, release layer 24 is peeled-off of first layer 12,exposing the adhesive 13, prior to device being adhesively attached toprinted medium N.

Printed medium N may be any distributed medium, for example, anewspaper, magazine, publication or the like. Printed medium N may besubscribed to by a person or purchased at a news stand, for instance. Itwill also be understood that device 10 of the present invention may bespecifically affixed to a page containing an advertisement placed by theadvertiser sponsoring the device. The second layer 14 of device 10 mayalso have a window 18 formed therein, so that any personalized messageon the advertising material will be visible.

It should be noted that the use of adhesive to secure the device 10 ontoa printed medium N is not to be seen as restrictive and that othermeans, for example staples or tape, may be used instead where and whenappropriate.

A description of the production and use of advertising delivery device10 according to one embodiment of the present invention follows.

Advertising materials and devices are first produced according to amarketer's requirements. In the present embodiment of the invention,advertising materials consist of printed materials, for example, lettersand brochures. The advertising materials and devices may or may not bepersonalized in view of the recipients' needs or preferences. Theadvertising materials and devices are printed together on a continuousroll of paper. After printing is complete, the roll of paper is cut intoseparate advertising material and device sections. Individual,unassembled devices are cut from the device section and individualadvertising materials are cut from the advertising material section orsections. Each individual unassembled device is assembled into a device10 as shown in FIG. 1. The advertising materials are inserted into thedevices. Other folders, order forms, reply envelopes, product samples,CDs, and the like, which may or may not be personalized, may be insertedinto the devices as well. The devices are then adhesively closed. Thesecond layer 14 of the devices acts as a protective barrier againsttransport and handling hazards thereby keeping the advertising materialsfresh and professional looking. The adhesive 13 is then applied to theback of the devices and a peelable release layer 24 is placed on andadhesively attached to the adhesive 13. The devices are then sent to themarketer. The marketer removes the release layer 24 from a device 10,positions the device on a printed medium, and adhesively secures thedevice to the printed medium.

Use of the device 10 may also be seen as an alternative to regular mailservice for some marketers.

It will be understood that the present invention as described may bemodified in many ways without departing from the spirit of theinvention. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes that come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

1. An advertising delivery device including at least one advertisingmaterial, said device having: a first layer; a second layer adjacent toand contiguously connected to said first layer; an opening for insertingsaid advertising material; a flap positioned for closing said device,said flap comprising a first surface and a second surface; and a firstadhesive applied to at least part of said first surface of said flap ofsaid device, said first adhesive for adhesively affixing said device toa printed medium.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said flap has asecond adhesive applied to at least part of said second surface of saidflap, said second adhesive for adhesively closing said device.
 3. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein said device has a window.
 4. The device ofclaim 1 wherein said first adhesive is a repositionable glue.
 5. Thedevice of claim 1 wherein said first adhesive is applied in an inlineprocess.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said printed medium is anewspaper.
 7. The device of claim 1 wherein a peelable release paper isadhesively attached to said first adhesive.
 8. An advertising deliverydevice including at least one advertising material, said device having:a first layer; a second layer adjacent to and contiguously connected tosaid first layer; an opening for inserting said advertising material; aflap positioned for closing said device, said flap comprising a firstsurface and a second surface; and an adhesive applied to at least partof the surface of said first layer of said device and at least part ofsaid first surface of said flap of said device, said adhesive foradhesively affixing said device to a printed medium.
 9. The device ofclaim 8, wherein said flap has a second adhesive applied to at leastpart of said second surface of said flap, said second adhesive foradhesively closing said device.
 10. A method of advertising utilizing aprinted medium comprising the steps of: preparing an advertisingmaterial and an envelope; inserting said advertising material into saidenvelope; and adhesively positioning said envelope onto said printedmedium; whereby said advertising material being inserted into saidenvelope is securely affixed to said printed medium for distribution asa direct mail package.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein saidpreparation of an advertising material and an envelope comprises thesteps of: printing said advertising material and said envelope togetheron a continuous roll of paper; cutting said roll of paper into at leastone advertising material section and an envelope section; cutting anunassembled envelope out of said envelope section and cutting saidadvertising material out of said advertising material section orsections; and assembling said unassembled envelope into said envelope.12. The method of claim 10 wherein said advertising material ispersonalized.
 13. The method of claim 10 wherein said printed medium isa newspaper.
 14. The method of claim 10 wherein said envelope is sealedafter inserting said advertising material.